Friday, May 30, 2014

Little baby girl.

First dress.

First day daddy leaves for work and they both nap at the same time.

12 days new.

May 25 2014 - 1 month old

Proud big brother.

Size

Clothing- still newborn since you are only 7 lbs 15 oz. You have finally gained more than your birth weight but not too much seeing as you are in the 10th percentile for height and weight. You are standing tall at 20.25 inches. I keep thinking you'll fit into some 0-3 month clothing but you never fill it out.

Health

You dropped normal 10% birth weight after you were born but you weren't gaining enough back in the normal time period so we have been adding preemie (more calories) supplement formula to my expressed milk. It seems to be working but too fast (which is okay because it made your brother get chunky a little too fast). Also, you had a small case of jaundice that was taken care of quickly.

Feeding

You love to have some milk! Mostly its every 2-4 hours, it just depends. You can drink up to 4 oz now!!! Usually it's between 2-3 but if you are really hungry you will down 4. Although, when you get expressed milk and supplement formula you spit up from time to time.

Sleep

It honestly varies. I try to keep you awake before bed time, then feed you a big "meal", have you bundled up (either swaddled or tucked in your rock n play), and hold you until I know you are "knocked out" and then put you down and HOPE you will stay asleep for 3-4 hours. If I get lucky I wake up before you awake and get to pump (lately morning pumps are 5 oz!!!) and then you'll wake and I change you, feed you, hold you till you are sleeping, then put you down, then I sleep for how many more hours you'll let me, then it is usually up for the day by then.

Milestones

You are pretty good at rolling belly to back/side already.

We can tell you have a sturdier neck/spine by how much longer and how further you can hold your head up.

You tend to like to flick mommy and daddy off.... I don't think by accident.

You LOVE the sound of your brothers voice, weather talking or singing.

You usually only smile while sleeping.

You love bath time. You hear the water and you just stop and listen. You love everything about bath time except getting out.

You also love the baby K'tan. I can take you anywhere and you just fall asleep in it.

Every time we drive to base you always get hungry and cry most of the way.

You have started to drool more and gnaw on your hands more often.

I tend to stare down at you (especially while nursing) and just admire how much you've changed, and how much I just love you!!!

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Let me rewind to the night before labor and birthday. I had some minor cramping and my son snuck into our bed which has been happening recently. But his birthday was the next day so what the heck. The 25th started off with opening birthday presents before daddy had to go into work. (it was also Job Drop day which meant we found out his next assignment so it was a big day already being Louis' birthday and job drop day). Later at 9:58 like the past 3 years, Louis got his own cake to go to town on. I took the same picture I've taken the past three years (will upload later when I get around to editing photos on my camera). Then we got cleaned up, dropped my mom off at the base gym, and met his grammy (my mother in law) at Target to do some birthday shopping. While at Target I felt like I had to squeeze my legs together while walking and I made two trips to the bathroom because I could tell my plug was coming out heav-iler than usual. Then we went to McAllister's for a quick lunch. We waited in the long lunch line, we were waiting on our food and I snickered/laughed and realized my water broke (at 1 p.m.). It wasn't like Louis' birth but it wasn't a mass amount but I knew it was my water. I said something along the lines of, "oh shit!" excused my self to the bathroom, realizes yeah this is my water, put a wad of toilet paper in my underwear, went back out and told my mother in law lets get this food to go that was my water. She pretty much freaked out but kept it calm as she could. She told them we needed to go so change the order for take out. I dialed the number to reach my husband and had my mother in law tell the person on the phone that his wife's water broke and he needs to leave now. I texted him (so when he got to the car he would see that he would need to pick up my mom on the way home). I got in the car drove home with my Louis, all while sitting on a reusable bag so my seat wouldn't get ....gross. I got out of the car (unbuckled my son of course and got him out), and booked it to the bathroom, I was wearing a dress so I changed to a tank top, shorts, and put a towel in my underwear. Ate half a sandwich (first meal of the day because we all know you can't eat anything at the hospital while laboring). Had some quick words and kisses with Louis.

Last photo as an only child (right before I went to the hospital).

Hubby drops me off at the L&D door at 2 p.m. and I go in and see my OB right then and just blurted out, "well my water broke". Then I check in, tell them my water broke and they say, "k we'll check". I go to a room, get changed into a fabulous gown and get checked and DUH it's my water. So it starts. I need to get an IV started because I had tested positive for Strep B so I needed to get antibiotics. I told the nurse please don't poke me 4 times like I had done to me with Louis. She tried once, didn't work, second time, hit something, called another nurse, she got it but put it basically in my wrist. (you'll hear why that place wasn't ideal for me). They wanted to start me on pitocin but I really did not want pitocin again but I knew it was a possibility because I was at risk for two infections already (Strep B and my water breaking), so they gave me an hour and I did not dilate. So at 3 p.m. they put me on pitocin. Which looking back it totally kicked my ass compared to Louis' labor and birth. I started feeling contractions (FYI I did have a nonmedicated besides pitocin birth with Louis and planned to do the same again) around a 5 cm which was earlier than expected compared to being around a 6 or 7 with Louis. The contractions were much stronger than expected. I did labor on the birthing ball some, and I wanted to stand, both didn't feel that great.

1) waiting on Mila 2) laboring, but first let me take a selfie

3) laboring watching Ellen 4) started feeling contractions

5) break in between contractions on birthing ball 6) on birthing ball and contracting

So here is where shit gets real. I am at an 8. I tell the nurse I feel her, she's like you are still an 8. But that is where it all begin, I got the feeling to push (like I did with Louis) and when you need to push, YOU NEED TO PUSH. Thank goodness my nurse stayed with me, because the OB wasn't there, they didn't even have the stir ups ..up. The nurse and what I am guessing another nurse delivered Miss Mila. They called the OB at 8:41 p.m. and Mila arrived at 8:43, minutes later the OB walks in hearing Mila cry... wondering what just happened. The OB delivered my placenta which hurt this time around and I couldn't feel during Louis'. Mila basically shot out (not even joking), I asked the nurse how many pushes did I have to do, and she said, "none, she just shot out". They were surprised, and I am so happy that I didn't tear, especially since she made such a fast appearance. She also didn't have a cone shaped head since she didn't spend much time in the canal. I was extremely shakey this time around and was asked numerous times if I wanted to hold her or feed her but I said, "I can't, I'd drop her." I didn't want to risk anything so I had to wait a couple minutes to hold her since my hands were shaking so bad. But she is so perfect and lighter than I or anyone thought. She nurses well and I am happy to be breast feeding (since it was hard with Louis). She doesn't like the right side so I have been pumping and reintroducing it to her when it's calm around us. Since I did have Strep B Mila had to stay 48 hours and I wasn't going to leave her so we stayed longer than expected. The hospital treated us pretty well and didn't bother us as much as the last hospital I delivered at.

About the girl

27 year old mommy, wife, sister, & daughter.

Hi. My name is Stephanie, I have a husband named AJ, a son named Louis, and a daughter named Mila. I am a SAHM and love (mostly) every minute of it. I love to craft when I have the time, photography, cooking new recipes, and family walks. We have two labs, one yellow lab named Lainey (from Elaine from Seinfeld) and Cosmo (also from Seinfeld) who is a boy and is what we think half border collie and half lab. We definitely have our hands full with two labs, a 4 year old and a 1 year old but we wouldn't have it any other way. Enjoy reading about our lives.